


THE MORTAL

by Snaked_Lows



Category: the GazettE
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Halloween 2018, Happy Ending, M/M, One Shot, Vampire Hunters, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-13 21:05:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16479752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snaked_Lows/pseuds/Snaked_Lows
Summary: Vampire Ruki x Vampire Hunter Reita





	THE MORTAL

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Halloween 2018

THE MORTAL

The forest was cold and wet. He hasn’t slept properly in weeks, but he couldn’t care less. This was the first real hint for months. He had traveled nearly half of the country, listened to more stories then he could count. Slept wherever he could. And also ate whatever he could. No one had told him back then that this was the life of a hunter. Everyone always told him how he would kill monsters, save people, would be a hero. Currently deep in the forest, freezing and hungry he felt just awful. He wanted to sleep. In a real bed for once. Having a warm and tasty meal before and a hot bath.  
He reached the next village after several hours. He would pay for a warm bath and something cheap to eat. After the bath he felt like a human again. He even managed to shave and looked human again. The soup smelled awful but at least it was warm and dry in the pup and the bread wasn’t too hard. He could survive several weeks in the forest, but this was so much better. He even thought for a moment to pay for a real bed as well, but money was tight at the moment. It was already autumn and jobs were rare. He had to figure something out for the upcoming winter. He couldn’t sleep outside in winter. If he couldn’t finish his mission on time he could stay with the convent during winter. Even though he would hate that. He was glad they took him in after his family got killed and that they trained him, but it never felt like his home. He made only one friend. God, he missed him.  
He was still napping when someone outside started to scream “VAMPIRE!”. Within seconds he took his crossbow and ran outside. People were screaming and running. His heart was beating like crazy. He had trained for years, he read every available book about vampires, he had sworn the kill the vampire that killed his parents and half of his village. Only because of that he had left the moment he was old enough.  
It was dark outside. Everyone on the street had fled inside. It was so quiet. All he could hear was himself breathing and the sounds of massive wings. He was close. He never saw a vampire himself. Only the pictures from books and one big skeleton deep down in the champers of their church. The sound of massive wings was frightening but also fascinating. He aimed to the sky, trying to see anything that wasn’t just pitch black. And then everything happened within seconds. Something fast knocked him over and he felt on this back. He shot his crossbow without thinking and the last thing he heard was a high scream and the cracking of branches. He shot him, he really did. He couldn’t believe it. It took him not even a minute to ran back to the pup, get his things and ran into the forest. He hadn’t killed him. But the changed are high that he would be able to finish him off while he was still injured.  
In the forest it was even darker. The sun was slowly getting up, but the trees nearly blocked all the light. Again his heart was beating like crazy. It didn’t take him long to find the spot where the vampire had crashed down. There was blood and one of his arrows. He really shot him. First encounter with a vampire and he actually shot him and survived. His first success for months. Slowly and quietly he followed the trace of blood.  
“You can try to be as quite as you want but I can still hear your heartbeat” suddenly someone said. He nearly jumped his bones.  
“Where are you?” he screamed.  
“Will you kill me if I tell you?” the other one wanted to know.  
“Of course I’m going to kill you. You’re a monster!” he answered without thinking.  
“Aren’t you one as well hunter?” his voice was mocking and it pissed him off so much.  
“I never killed a human being” he said angrily.  
“Neither did I” the voice said and suddenly he sounded in pain. Like he tried hard to stay awake.  
“Lair!” he screamed back, turned around and couldn’t believe his eyes.  
He looked nothing like the vampires in his books or like the vampires from all the stories he had heart. His wings were deep purple. His hair bright and he was… beautiful. Nothing like the monsters from his books.  
“Found me did you” the vampire said and tried to smile while being in pain.  
“Are you really a vampire?” he couldn’t stop himself from asking.  
“See those wings and those fangs? What do I look like? A werewolf? Never seen a vampire before or what?” the other one laughed.  
“I haven’t. You’re my first” he told him and came slowly closer. The sun war already up and even in the deepest of the forest he could see the vampire now clearly. One of his arrows hit him directly in his wings. The other one in his right leg. There was blood in his face as well but that looked different.  
“Oh I’m your first? I will be gentle with you. Or do you like it rough?” the vampire wanted to know. It took him a moment to understand what he was referring to and suddenly he was super embarrassed. The other one laughed even more.  
“You are a liar! You said you never killed a human being but look at you. Blood all over your face” he said and aimed with his crossbow directly at his heart.  
“That was a sheep. I don’t drink from human” the vampire said to him.  
“But you attacked the village, weren’t you?” he once read that vampire were excellent lairs. That they know exactly what you want and how to make you think that they will give it to you.  
“While I was dining some woman saw me and started to scream. So I tried to flee but then you had to block my way” the other one explained him.  
“You tried to kill me” he said and was still suspicious.  
“Believe me you would be dead if I really tried. All I did was pushing you out of my way. But that didn’t end well did it?” he told him.  
“Why aren’t you drinking from human? Isn’t that what your kind do?” he wanted to know.  
“Would you eat a puppy?” The vampire asked him in return.  
“What? A puppy? No of course not! What? You see us as puppies?” now he was totally confused.  
“Your kind is weak. You follow each other without thinking and can’t be alone for long. And you are cute” the other one explained him.  
“Cute?” he was so shocked that he even dropped his crossbow.  
“Yes, look at you. All soft and fragile and warm” the vampire said.  
He just wanted to reply to that when the other one started suddenly to whimper.  
“You are in massive pain” the said more to himself.  
“You are a clever one, are you? Your arrows were dipped into holy water. It’s burning like hell and weakening me from the inside. So, I would prefer if you would kill me directly” the vampire told him.  
“I… can’t kill you” he said slowly. He really couldn’t. He knew the other one was a vampire and killing vampires was his job as a hunter but the vampire before him was no monster.  
“What is your name?” the vampire suddenly wanted to know.  
“People call me Reita” he answered.  
“I’m called Ruki. So tell me Reita, vampire hunter, why can’t you kill me? Isn’t that your job?” Ruki asked him.  
“I just want to kill one vampire. The one that killed my family and half of our village. He’s the only monster I care about. Slaughtering children for fun. Only a monster can do that” Reita told him and he noticed the shocked expression. Like he remembered something unpleasant.  
“You know who I’m talking about do you?” Reita asked him.  
“Yes…I know him. My kind won’t kill children. We only kill as much as we need to survive or not at all like myself. But he… he is different. He…” Ruki told him.  
“Do you know where he is?” Reita wanted to know. This was the best information he got since he left his village months ago.  
“I… do know” Ruki said slowly.  
“If I spare your life, will you tell me?” Reita asked.  
“It makes no difference if you know or not. Only a vampire can find that place” Ruki told him.  
“Listen I really don’t want to kill you. And I won’t. But I promise you that I will help you back to health if you help me to find him” Reita offered.  
“How can you be sure that I won’t kill you once I’m strong enough?” Ruki asked him.  
“You could have killed me when you really wanted you. But you didn’t. So I think I can trust you that much. Can you remove the arrows yourself, or should I?” Reita said and put his crossbow away.  
“You really aren’t the cleverest one, right? Do you think I still have those horrible arrows in me because I like them so much and on top of that I just wait here for you to arrive, so we can have a chat? I can barely speak anymore because of those arrows” Ruki explained to him.  
Without waiting another second Reita grabbed one of the arrows and tried as gentle as possible to remove it. The other one hissed but seemed relieved. When he aimed for the arrow in the vampires wings the other one grabbed his hand.  
“Please be careful… they are very sensitive” he whispered and Reita could swear he was embarrassed. He tried his best to not harm the wings any further when he removed the arrow, but he was surprised how soft the wings were.  
“Do you… need anything to recover?” Reita asked and looked at the vampire. Sure, he was indeed very beautiful, but he could also see that he was in pain and suffering.  
“Blood” was the only thing the vampire told him.  
“I won’t give you some of my blood” Reita told him directly.  
“I don’t even want your blood! Even though it would let me heal quite fast. Just go and find me some deer or something else that size” Ruki told him.  
“Okay I will be back right away. Just stay here okay?” Reita said and heard Ruki laughing.  
“Even if I wanted to run away it’s not like I can lift a finger at the moment” Ruki whispered.  
Finding a deer wasn’t a real problem. Shooting it neither, because he was an excellent shooter but getting that deer back to the vampire was a pain in the ass. That thing was super heavy and still alive. He knew that drinking from the dead could kill a vampire. He was breathing like he had run for his life when he got back to Ruki. But when he saw that the other one looked even worse to before he couldn’t care less.  
“Hey Ruki, come on wake up! I got something for you. I hope it’s enough” Reita said and was indeed worried. When Ruki slowly opened his eyes, he was relieved. Without the other one his chance to end his mission would be nearly impossible. Slowly he helped the other one to get closer to the deer.  
“You… should look away” the vampire said, and his fangs disappeared into the flesh. Reita could hear Ruki drinking the blood and for one moment he felt sick. In the beginning Ruki drank slowly but after some seconds he took deep sips and the deer stopped moving. Reita couldn’t help himself and looked over his shoulder. For a moment he was shocked, because the vampire had dug his hands deep into the fur of the deer and there was so much blood. Like he tried to drink more than he was able to do so in his condition.  
After some minutes Ruki got calmer. And also his skin looked already better. He was still pale, but his skin looked somehow softer and his hair glossy.  
“Are you feeling better?” Reita asked and was still a bit worried.  
“Yes I… thank you” Ruki said and checked his wings. They weren’t fully healed but at least not bleeding anymore. Same with his leg.  
“You ruined one of my favorite pairs of dress pants” he said and looked angry.  
“I will buy you a new pair” Reita said and the vampire started laughing.  
“Don’t be silly. You can’t afford a pair. It’s no drama. I have plenty at home” Ruki told him.  
“You have a home?” Reita wanted to know.  
“Of course I have a home. What do you think where I sleep?” Ruki asked in return.  
“I don’t know. In the forest?” Reita guessed.  
“Do I look like someone who sleeps outside?” Ruki laughed.  
“No… not really. So you live in a castle?” Reita asked.  
“No I don’t live in a castle. There aren’t enough castle for all vampires. And even if there would be I… never mind” Ruki told him and Reita looked at him confused.  
“What? Is the next question if I sleep in a coffin?” Ruki laughed.  
“You are not?” Reita wanted to know.  
“What would you prefer? A small coffin or a queen-sized bed with silk bedding?” the vampire asked him.  
“It’ been weeks that I slept in a real bed. I don’t care about the size or bedding type” Reita mumbled and Ruki looked at him with big eyes.  
“Don’t expect from me to sleep in pups or hell even outside” Ruki told him sternly.  
“I can’t afford a room” Reita explained him and was embarrassed.  
“I will pay for us” Ruki said directly.  
“I can’t accept that” Reita replied.  
“Listen, you spared my life and I promised you to find him. I need a bed to sleep and the way you look you could also need one. So I will pay for a room for the two of us. End of the story” Ruki explained to him. Reita knew that he lost this battle.  
“Thank you. I really appreciate that you know?” he said and it was true.  
“I’m still a bit weak so I need all my strength to hide my wings. I won’t be able to hide my fangs as well at this point. So you have to do all the talking once we enter the village. You understand?” Ruki explained to him.  
“Okay don’t worry I can do that” Reita answered. 

Because Ruki couldn’t walk fast they needed over an hour back to the village. They took the first inn they could find. At some point Ruki had to cling to him because he was too weak after using all his strength to hind his massive wings.  
“A room for two please” Reita told the man and put the silver on the reception desk. With a weird look on his face the man gave him a key. As soon as they entered the room Rukis started to laugh.  
“What’s so funny?” Reita wanted to know and helped the other one to sit down.  
“He thought I’m your prostitute and you didn’t even notice” the vampire was still laughing while slowly lying down.  
“My… prostitute?” Reita was clearly shocked.  
“Someone that sleeps with people for money” Ruki explained to him.  
“I know what a prostitute is! I may have lived around monks but I’m not that stupid. Also it’s obvious that I won’t be able to afford you” Reita told him and put his crossbow next to the bed.  
“Did you just say I look like a high-class hooker?” Ruki asked him with a raised eyebrow.  
“What? No, no! That’s not what I meant. It’s just I look like I live in the forest most of the time, which is the case. And you look… you look beautiful. You have those nice cloth and shiny hair. So yeah it’s obvious that I couldn’t afford you” Reita tried to explain himself.  
“So you think I’m beautiful?” Ruki asked and was smirking.  
“You know you are” was all Reita said and got out of his cloth so he could wash them before going to bed. The room even had a small bath. Pure luxury.  
“I know I am, but it doesn’t make me any less of a monster” Ruki whispered and drifted off to sleep. Reita starred at him for a moment. The other one was really nothing like the vampires he read so much about. And he didn’t know what to do with that conclusion. 

When Reita woke up the next morning he didn’t know where he was for a moment. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt this rested. Slowly he moved his arms and legs and nearly jumped out of bed when he felt something stone-cold next to him.  
“Good morning” Ruki said next to him and was again smirking.  
“Have you watched me sleeping?” Reita wanted to know.  
“Your kind normally don’t sleep this peacefully next to me” Ruki said and came a bit closer. Reita automatically moved closer to the wall.  
“You skin is now stone-cold. It wasn’t like that yesterday. Are you okay?” Reita asked.  
“This is normal. My body heats up to the temperature of the blood I’m drinking. Deer’s have a slightly higher temperature as your kind. But my body can’t hold that temperature for long. After a few hours I’m turning cold” Ruki explained.  
“Can… I?” Reita asked and looked nervous when Ruki just stared at him for a few seconds.  
“Sure” he said in the end and offered his arm. Reita touched the arm with his fingertips. The other one really felt like a corpse. But his skin was also surprisingly very soft. He slowly stroked his skin without thinking until Ruki pulled his arm back. Looking embarrassed.  
“Sorry” Reita whispered and tried to get more space between them.  
“No! It’s just… it’s been a while” Ruki said and stood up. Reita’s eyes followed him without noticing. The other one was really something else. Never ever in his life before had he seen a creature like him.  
“Are you also starring at your kind like this as well?” Ruki asked him with a smirk when he got out of his shirt.  
“I’m sorry! I can’t help myself. It’s the first and most likely also my last opportunity for me to see someone like you this close. It was rude. I won’t do it again” Reita apologized and looked away.  
“I don’t mind” Ruki said with a smirk and stepped out of his dress pants. His skin looked so smooth. And those wings were still expressive. How could he not stare?  
While Ruki took a long long bath, Reita checked his luggage and cleaned his crossbow. He needed new arrows. There were only a few lefts. 

When Reita put the key on the reception desk the man eyes from the last night followed Ruki. He didn’t even look Reita in the eyes.  
“Don’t look at him like that. Whatever you think he’s doing, you’re wrong” Reita hissed. Ruki snickered behind him.  
“Thanks for defending my honor” Ruki laughed once they were outside.  
“I know you can defend yourself just fine, but he is a pervert. I could see that in his eyes when he was looking at you. It made me sick” Reita mumbled. He had seen plenty of that kind of eyes.  
Reita bought a bunch of arrows and again dunked them in the holy water before the church. Ruki stood a few feet’s away.  
They barely spoke once they entered the woods. Reita just followed Ruki who walked a few steps before him. It was amazing that the vampire barely made a noise while walking. Next to him Reita felt like a lumberman.  
Only after they have walked half the day Ruki told him that he needed something to drink to be able to hide his wings and fangs until they reached the next inn. Reita sat next to a tree and drank more of his water while Ruki put his jacked neatly next to him. It was the first time that Reita saw the holes in the back of the vampire’s shirt. Within a few seconds the wings came out of his back.  
“Does… it hurt when you do that?” Reita wanted to know.  
“Every time” Ruki answered him and breathed a bit unsteady.  
“Why don’t you just keep on hiding them all the time?” Reita asked and searched for some berries he could eat.  
“I don’t feel like myself without them. I feel weak. Also, once you are able to fly you won’t sacrifice that for anything” Ruki explained him.  
“It must be amazing to just fly wherever you want to. I can’t even imagine how that must feel like” Reita said without thinking.  
“It’s nearly worth this life” Ruki whispered and took off.  
While Ruki was hunting, Reita took a nap. Walking all day was exhausting. He had slept pretty well the night, but he was still exhausted from the days before. When he woke up Ruki was sitting in front of him. Again watching him sleeping. It was still creepy but Reita didn’t say anything. He was also staring at the other one all the time.  
“I got you something to eat as well” the vampire told him and gave him a roasted piece of flesh. Without thinking twice Reita took a bite and god it had been month that he had ate good beef.  
“So a cow this time?” Reita asked and took a second bite.  
“I mostly survive thanks to them” Ruki said and smiled.  
“Why don’t you, you know, drink from humans?” Reita asked carefully.  
“I don’t want to talk about it” Ruki whispered and stood up.  
The rest of the march they barely talked. It was a bit strange. Normally Reita didn’t like being around other people. The only friend he had was Uruha. He always had been the only one he tolerated and enjoyed spending time with. But he actually liked marching with Ruki. It didn’t feel strange or awkward. And he still couldn’t stop himself from starring at the vampire. 

Without noticing days blend into weeks. They mostly walked the long distances. Only when it was impossible to reach the next village within a day they took a carriage. Ruki paid for those as well and Reita still felt bad about it. Ruki seemed to notice that because for the next inns he chose cheaper options. They still had a bathroom and Ruki took a long bath every morning, but the bed was smaller than before. The first nights were awkward. Reita had shared a bed with Uruha several times but this was different. When he and Ruki were touching by accident his skin started to tickle. He even got used to the cold feeling of Rukis skin and his wings. Only while being this close it was possible for him to recognize the small feathers. He always thought that vampire wings were made from thick skin, like it was written in his books. After watching them for several minutes he thought: he looks more like the angels in my books than the vampires. 

Their journey went quite well. Even though Ruki couldn’t tell him exactly where there were going. At one point it felt more like a vacation trip instead of a mission and that frightened Reita. He knew that once his mission was accomplished their ways would part again. Also, Ruki was only helping him to work off his dept. There weren’t friends or anything and that was a thought Reita tried to ignore at any cost.  
They barely met anyone during their march. Reita knew that it was saver to walk out of common trails. Especially with Ruki being quite eye catching. This way he was also able to show his wings freely once they were deep enough into the woods.  
“Someone is coming. A group of four” Ruki said suddenly and hid his wings and fangs out of reflex. For a moment Reita thought Ruki was seeing ghosts, but a few steps further he also heard a group of people.  
“Shit those are hunters” Reita whispered once he could see them.  
“Relax. We will just pass them” Ruki told him but Reita knew he was also nervous.  
“Oh hello there. A fellow hunter and his?” one of them said when he noticed them.  
“Friend” Reita said with a steady voice.  
“Nice friend you have there” another one said and checked Ruki out. Reita directly wanted to punch him in the face.  
“Do you want to eat with us? We just wanted to start making a fire” the third one offered and also looked at Ruki.  
“I’m sorry but we have a tight schedule. But thanks for the offer” Reita told them.  
“If you don’t have the time that is such a pity but how about your friend here” the same guy said and stepped between him and Ruki.  
“I’m with him and now get out of my way” Ruki sneered.  
“Oh he has a voice as well. He is also bitching around. I like a challenge” the fourth one said and tried to touch Ruki. Reita wasn’t fast enough. Within a blink of an eye Ruki already had grabbed the guys hand and pushed him away. And then everything happened within seconds. One of the guys was screaming that Ruki can’t be human. The next second Ruki showed his wings and fangs and tried to escape. Reita punched the guy next to him and also tried to escape but someone managed to grab his arm and the next moment he went down.  
“Kill him! I don’t care if he’s a hunter or not. He’s with a vampire, just kill him!” someone screamed and suddenly four crossbows were pointed at him. Reita’s heart was beating like crazy. And out of reflex he closed his eyes, ready to die. But the pain never came. When he opened his eyes all he could see was darkness and feel the cold presence of Ruki. It took him a moment to understand that Ruki had wrapped his wings around the them. It also took him another moment to realize that the person who was screaming, Ruki was. The moment Ruki fainted and opened his wings Reita just did what he had to do and shot with his crossbow. He just needed four arrows. With heavy breathing he looked around. He had killed before to save his own life, but he had never killed another hunter. After the first moment of shock he looked around to find Ruki lying on the ground. His wings were perforated by arrows. There was so much blood.  
“Ruki! Shit Ruki, please open your eyes!” Reita begged.  
“Reita…” Ruki whispered and spit black blood as well.  
“Ruki what can I do? What do you need?” Reita asked and started to panic.  
“Blood” Ruki whispered and closed his eyes again.  
“No! No, come on Ruki, don’t close your eyes. Stay awake, stay with me. Can you do that?” Reita asked him and looked around. The other hunters were dead, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to find an animal big enough in time. He was out of options.  
“Ruki listen to me okay? Listen carefully. You have to drink from me okay?” he tried to explain the vampire.  
“No… no… I can’t… no” Ruki mumbled and shook his head.  
“Fuck” whispered Reita and without thinking twice he grabbed his knife and cut himself in one of his veins. It hurt like hell, but he couldn’t care less. He pressed his arm directly on the mouth of Ruki and for a moment he thought he was too late, because nothing happened. Until suddenly Rukis eyes flew open and he grabbed Reitas arm himself. Drinking hungrily his blood. The feeling was amazing. He read so much about this, but it was just beyond words. For a few moments he just tried to stay as still as possible, until he slowly got dizzy.  
“Ruki you have to stop” he said and tried to pull his arm back without success.  
“Ruki… please” he told him and already saw bright dots dancing before his eyes. And slowly everything went black. 

When Reita woke up he felt very much in pain and exhausted. It took him a few seconds to realize that he was lying in someone’s bed. The bedding felt nice. Slowly he tried to look around. The bed was huge, but the room looked too small for the big bed. There was also a lot of stuff. When he looked to the other side he recognized Ruki. Reita felt so relieved.  
“Thanks god” he whispered and suddenly Ruki opened his eyes.  
“Reita! You’re awake! How are you feeling?” the vampire wanted to know and looked terrified.  
“I’m in pain and tired. I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried” he answered with a small smile.  
Ruki looked at him shocked and Reita already asked himself he said something he shouldn’t have.  
“I’m so sorry” Ruki suddenly exploded and now it was Reita who was totally confused.  
“You saved my live. What are you sorry for?” Reita wanted to know.  
“Saved your live? Saved your live?! I nearly killed you! The moment your blood was in my system I couldn’t stop to drink from you. I heard you telling me to stop but I couldn’t. I was drunk on your blood and only one sip more and…” Ruki stopped and looked away.  
“But you didn’t. I knew you wouldn’t” Reita said and tried to make Ruki looking at him.  
“You shouldn’t have done that. The risk was too high” Ruki told him and still looked ashamed.  
“You were dying” Reita tried to explain himself.  
“That wouldn’t be much of a loss. I know it’s important for you to find him, but your own life should be your first priority” Ruki said to him.  
“You really think that’s why I did it? I don’t care about… I did it because you were dying, and it was the only option to save you! I did it for you! Not for him or anyone else” he told the vampire and felt nervous.  
Ruki looked at him for a long moment without saying anything.  
“I’m going to get you some food. Sleep. You need to rest. Water is on the bedside table” Ruki whispered and left the room.  
“Fuck” Reita mumbled and laid down again. He still was in pain but now there was also another kind of pain and this one was even worse. 

He slept for several hours. When he woke up the second time it was already dark outside. Ruki was sitting next to him in a chair, watching him. He didn’t look good. He was sweating. Reita didn’t even know vampires could sweat. His eyes looked nervous and he couldn’t sit still.  
“Are you okay?” Reita asked.  
“The withdrawal syndromes are starting to show” Ruki explained and forced himself to a smile.  
“Is it because of my blood?” Reita wanted to know.  
“My body is craving for your blood. It’s like a relapse” Ruki told him and looked ashamed.  
“I’m sorry that you feel like that because of me. But I couldn’t let you die there” he said to the vampire.  
“I managed to get clean several times. I will manage a another time” Ruki promised him.  
“Where are we by the way?” Reita wanted to know and looked around.  
“At my place” Ruki said and also looked around.  
“Your place? How did we get here?” Reita was confused.  
“I carried you and flew you here” the vampire told him.  
“You flew us? God shit are your wings okay?” Reita asked and got up. Just now he noticed that Ruki was hiding his wings but not his fangs.  
The vampire looked at him for a moment before he showed his wings and Reita stopped breathing for a moment. His wings looked nothing like before. Most of the feathers were heavily damaged or even missing.  
“Will they… heal?” Reita wanted to know and tried to get closer.  
“It will take time. A lot of time” Ruki said in hid them again.  
“Can I… do anything?” Reita asked. He felt guilty. It was his fault after all.  
“Normally… between vampires we take care of each other wings after we find our…” Ruki tried to explain.  
“Your what? Spouse?” Reita asked.  
“Something like that. We are immortal. So when we choose someone it’s also for eternity. You can’t easily divorce like your kind do so often” Ruki tried to explain.  
“So you have mates? Like swans?” Reita asked curious.  
“Yeah you could say so. Once we find that someone we help each other with our wings” Ruki told him.  
“You only do that with your mate? Why so?” Reita wanted to know and was confused.  
“It’s very intimate. Our wings are our most sensitive parts. They look massive and strong, but they need a lot of care. Without our wings we are weak and they can cause us a great pain. That’s why we only entrust them to someone we deeply trust. My wings are deeply damaged. To a point where I’m not sure if I can take care of them myself” explained and looked embarrassed.  
“Don’t you… have a mate? Someone that can help you?” he asked carefully.  
“No I don’t” Ruki told him and looked away.  
“Will your wings heal good enough if you take care of them alone?” Reita wanted to know.  
“I don’t know. Maybe” Ruki said and tried not look scared.  
“I could help you? I mean if it’s okay for you” Reita offered.  
Ruki looked at him for a long time.  
“Maybe after I don’t feel like jumping your bones any minute” Ruki said and bit his bottom lip.  
“We will figure it out” Reita told Ruki.

While Reita felt better with every day it was the complete opposite for Ruki. He jumped out of his skin several times a day. And he got thinner. Reita had asked him once if he actually drank anything during his hunts. They had a fight. Ruki screamed at him that he tried to. But that because of Reita’s blood everything else tastes horrible to him. And more than once he puked everything out. During the nights it was the worst. Ruki had nightmares and sometimes even kicked Reita hard in his sleeps. He was screaming in his dreams as well. Reita didn’t know that vampires could dream.  
It happened several days after their fight. Reita woke up, because something was touching him. The moment he got used to the darkness he recognized Ruki who was sitting on his lap, fangs out and with red eyes.  
Without thinking Reita pushed the vampire off him. Within seconds Ruki attacked him again. And shit, even in his state he was still strong.  
“Ruki come back to your senses” Reita screamed and he needed all his strength to keep Ruki away from his neck. In the end all he could do was to slap him hard.  
Ruki blinked a few times until he realized what had happened.  
“Reita… I… shit I’m so sorry. I did it again, right?” he asked and crawled away from him.  
“It’s okay. Nothing happened. See? Everything is fine” Reita tried to calm the vampire down.  
“Everything is fine? Look at me! I’m a wreck! I can’t eat, I can’t sleep and you might not be able to stop me the next time” he screamed.  
“You can’t say that for sure” Reita whispered.  
“So you just wanna wait and see what will happen? I swore to myself that I would never ever kill a human being again. Before that happens, I would rather kill myself” Ruki told him and Reita knew that the other one was certain.  
“Maybe a cold withdrawal is just not the right way. How did you do it the last time?” Reita wanted to know.  
“It took me several months until I was able not to drink from humans anymore” Ruki confessed.  
“I know you don’t want to, but how about drinking from me just enough so you feel better. You could reduce the amount every time” Reita offered.  
“I don’t know if I can control myself” Ruki whispered and he looked scared.  
“I trust you okay? Otherwise I wouldn’t offer it” Reita told him.  
“Why do you trust me with your life?” Ruki asked and looked totally confused.  
“Because you’re my friend, aren’t you?” Reita said and grabbed his hand.  
“If… if I drink too much… knock me out okay? If I try to attack you again, just kill me please. Promise me, okay?” Ruki whispered.  
“I promise” Reita lied and offered his arm.  
Slowly Ruki took his arm. He still hesitated but also licked his lip. Reita’s heartbeat speeded up. Not because he was scared, but because Ruki looked stunning like that. His eyes turned nearly black and those lips. The bite itself just hurt a bit, but the pain vanished as soon as Ruki licked the wound shortly. The sensation was again amazing. His body warmed up within seconds and he felt like he was flying. God he could get used to this. Ruki took only a few sips but looked already calmer and better.  
“See? Everything is fine” Reita told him and smiled. When he searched for a tissue Ruki took his arm and licked the wound again a few times. Within seconds the wounds closed itself.  
“This is really useful” Reita laughed.  
“When our kind turns one of your kind into one us, we lick the wound to make sure they won’t die. It’s a narrow path between death and being reborn” Ruki explained, still holding Reita’s arm.  
“I didn’t know that” Reita confessed.  
“You should rest. It wasn’t much blood but still. And I should also” Ruki said and lay down, with his back to Reita. He looked so small. Reita lay down as well, looking at Ruki’s back until he slowly touched his shoulder. Without saying anything the vampire turned around and Reita pulled him closer. 

When Reita woke up several hours later, Ruki was sleeping in his arms. For a moment Reita didn’t know what to do. He knew the meaning of his feeling for the vampire. He knew that he was attracted to him and that it was way more than just that. He wasn’t dumb. In a world with vampires and other creature people didn’t care about genders if it happened within your own kind. He had read about a few cases of hybrids, but they were hated and hunted on both sides.  
“Your heart is beating so fast” Ruki suddenly whispered.  
“I’m sorry” Reita apologized and felt uneasy.  
“It’s okay. It’s been a while that I felt this. It’s nice” the vampire told him.  
“How old are you?” Reita asked without thinking.  
“How old do I look?” Ruki laughed.  
“You are immune to the daylight. Only old vampires are” Reita concluded.  
“Several hundred years. That’s all I’m gonna say” Ruki answered his question.  
“For how long are you… alone?” Reita asked carefully. He knew that vampire lived in clans. That would also explain what Ruki told him about mates. So why was he alone?  
“More than half of my life” Ruki said and looked away. Reita didn’t asked for more. 

They lived like that for several month. Ruki slowly reduced the amount of blood he drank from Reita and got used to animal blood again. His wings healed in the beginning quite well. But with the reduced amount of human blood the healing process also slowed down.  
“Your wings, they are so beautiful” Reita said one morning.  
“You think so?” Ruki asked surprised.  
“Yes, in all my books they were descripted as terrifying and devilishly. But they are nothing like that. They look like angel wings” Reita mumbled.  
“Within our kind there exists an oral tradition. That our alpha, the very first one, that he was a fallen angel of god himself. He loved the humans too much and wanted to leave heaven to live with them, so he got punished. Turned into a creature that could only survive by feeding from the humans he loved so much” Ruki explained to him.  
“I never heard about this before. All they ever told us was that Satan send you to destroy human kind” Reita said and was shocked.  
“Doesn’t sound good that god himself created a monster out of jealousy, right? It’s not surprising that the church tried to hide this secret since the beginning” Ruki told him.  
“You aren’t a monster” Reita said and meant every word.  
“You don’t know what I did in the past. I’m a monster like everyone else” Ruki whispered.  
“I know the current you. And the current you aren’t a monster. Not at all” Reita told him and pulled him closer. Ruki directly hissed in pain.  
“Did I hurt you? Shit I’m sorry” Reita apologized and looked confused.  
“It’s just my wings. They got better but… I couldn’t groom them correctly” Ruki said and seemed to be embarrassed.  
“My offer still stands” Reita offered again. Ruki looked at him for a long moment.  
“Okay” he whispered in the end and slowly got out of his top. Reita’s heard was beating like crazy. His skin looked so smooth and pale.  
“Tell me what I should do” Reita requested.  
“The old and dead feathers have to be removed so the new feathers have it easier to grow. I normally can do that by myself, but this time the damage is so big that basically all feathers must regrow. I can’t reach the feathers of my back so if you could like… you know” Ruki tried to explain him. He bit his lip and Reita could swear that his neck turned pink.  
“So, I have to remove the dead feathers you can’t reach? I can do that. Anything else I should know?” Reita wanted to know. Now Ruki turned bright red.  
“The part where… my wings are connected to my back is the most sensitive part and… god this is so embarrassing. Because fully-grown feathers are essentially dead structures, it is vital that we have some way to protect and lubricate them. In order to do so we have preen glands, which opens above the base of the tail feathers and secretes a substance. I can understand if this is too gross for you” Ruki told him.  
“No! It’s not gross! It’s okay. It… makes sense. If I do anything wrong just tell me okay?” Reita said and hesitated a bit before he actually touched Ruki’s wings. They were unbelievable soft. Slowly he combed through the wings and removing the dead feathers. Trying his best to be as careful as possible. In the beginning Ruki just sat there stiff. Reita was nearly done with both sides when Ruki suddenly gasped.  
“Shit, what did I wrong?” Reita asked.  
“Nothing wrong. It’s just as I said, that part is extremely sensitive. I’m not used to someone touching it” Ruki whispered. It hit Reita like a ton of bricks. The other one was getting aroused.  
“Should… I touch them again?” he asked without thinking and looking at Ruki.  
“Yes” it was barely a whisper. They looked at each other for a moment, before Ruki grabbed his shirt and kissed him. It’s been ages since he kissed someone. And he never has been kissed like this. Ruki was an excellent kisser. But Ruki was a vampire who was hundreds of years old. He most likely kissed thousands of people until now. Ruki kissed him like his life was depending on it. For the moment Reita didn’t care if he was the one thousand and one-person Ruki kissed or if this was just a one-time thing. The last weeks were nothing like he had imagine his life as a hunter. Everything was confusing. He knew he wasn’t supposed to feel anything for the other one but here we was. Being around the vampire felt right. Never ever had he imagine that he would find happiness like this. And he really was happy. The other one made him happy without doing anything special. He never had felt this alive before. And it was nearly ironic that a dead creature made him feel alive.  
“May I touch you?” Reita whispered between kisses.  
“Please” whispered Ruki and kissed him even deeper. Now Reita aimed directly for the sensitive parts of Ruki wrings. He was still careful but didn’t stopped when Ruki gasped. Slowly he massaged the skin where Rukis wings were attached to his body and he got a deep moan out of the other one. Reita could get used to that.  
“Want you naked” Ruki told him bluntly.  
“Okay yes I can do that” Reita said and tried to get out of his cloth as fast as possible. Normally he would feel ashamed. Thanks to the hard training his body was in a good shape at first glance, but the hard training also left several scars. His skin was nothing like the white porcelain skin of the vampire. But somehow, he knew that Ruki wouldn’t care. That he wasn’t one of those who would look at him with pity or disgust in their eyes.  
Ruki looked stunning. Reita could watch him all day.  
“You’re beautiful” he told the vampire.  
“You aren’t bad yourself” Ruki laughed and kissed him again. When he touched Rukis arm he realized that the other one hasn’t eaten the last hours because his skin was cold. He himself was burning up with every touch.  
“I’m sorry” Ruki apologized and flinched back.  
“No don’t worry. I like it” Reita said directly and touched him again.  
“But why?” Ruki wanted to know.  
“Because I like you” Reita told him honestly.  
“You don’t really know me” Ruki whispered and looked suddenly sad.  
“I still like you” Reita said directly and kissed the vampire. He really did. He didn’t care if he wasn’t supposed to. And he nearly didn’t care if the other one didn’t return those feelings. Even though he was pretty sure that Ruki had feelings for him. Ruki just kissed back without saying anything.  
For a few minutes all they did was kissing and touching. Reita was still massaging the sensitive skin of Rukis back and he could feel how the other one got harder against him. But he wasn’t any better. He was already rock hard.  
“I’m sorry it’s been a while” he laughed and was embarrassed.  
“I haven’t been with someone for hundreds of years” Ruki confessed and slowly stroked him.  
Reita nearly whimpered because it felt amazing.  
“Doesn’t feel like that” Reita moaned and Ruki kissed him deeply.  
“I want you inside me” Ruki whispered directly into Reita’s ear after some more kissing.  
“I won’t last long” Reita moaned.  
“I don’t care” Ruki groaned and climbed on Reitas lap.  
“Do you… have anything here?” Reita wanted to know.  
“I’m dead so I can’t catch anything anymore. Just give me a few minutes” Ruki whispered.  
The moment Reita saw how Ruki started to prepare himself he nearly came without touching. He could feel the cold breath of the vampire on his shoulder.  
“Are you okay? You’re shaking” Reita asked after some time with worry in his voice.  
“I want this so much” Ruki answered and nipped on his neck. He could feel Ruki’s teeth scrapped his skin while he slowly entered him. The first moment it felt a bit strange. Even his insides weren’t hot like it normally would be the case. But he couldn’t care less.  
“Is this okay?” Ruki wanted to know and hid his face in Reita’s neck.  
“This is more than just okay” Reita told him and kissed him deeply. Their tempo was slow. Slow and intimate. Nothing like the few one night stands he had so far. One of the first things he had learned during his training was not to do relationships. The life of a hunter was dangerous and most likely very short. All those years that had been totally fine for him. He had trained for this life and his revenge. But now nothing of that seemed to be important anymore. He would trade that life any second to just stay here. It took them just a few minutes until both of them were moaning and shaking. Reita tried his best to support Ruki’s weight while he moved on his lap. With every movement Ruki nipped more on his neck with his teeth.  
“You… you can, you know” Reita offered and moaned deeply.  
The moment Ruki’s fangs pierced through his skin, both of them came.  
He never been high, but he imagined that it could feel like he felt now. His heart was beating like crazy. His body was shaking, and he just felt so amazing. He could also feel that Ruki’s body was slowly heating up even though he just drank a few sips from him. The other one seemed to be exhausted as well because he was still leaning onto him.  
“Are you okay?” Reita wanted to know and comped Ruki’s damp hair out of his face.  
“Haven’t felt this amazing for a long time” the vampire told him and smiled. For a moment the other one just looked him into his face before he got up and dressed himself in something that looked like a thin bathrobe.  
“You don’t look like you feel amazing” Reita said and was worried. Ruki didn’t look him into the face and also his body language was off.  
“We shouldn’t have done this” Ruki whispered.  
“Do you regret it?” Reita wanted to know after a few seconds.  
“No I don’t. We still shouldn’t have done it. We aren’t supposed to…” Ruki said and looked crushed.  
“We aren’t supposed to what?” Reita asked and slowly got angry.  
“Whatever this is” Ruki whispered.  
“I don’t care what we are or aren’t supposed to do or to feel. I know that I like you” Reita told him.  
“You don’t like me. You don’t even really know me. There is nothing likeable about me” Ruki said and now Reita was indeed angry.  
“You might not like you, but you have no right to tell me how I feel about you. Do you really think I would be here with you if I wouldn’t like you? I know you good enough to like you” Reita nearly yelled at him.  
“I killed you family! It wasn’t him, it was me! He was the one who turned me. For years he and I killed thousands of families. Until I couldn’t take it anymore. The reason why I got banished is because I killed him. I slaughtered your family Reita during a weak moment of mine. You don’t want to kill him, you want to kill me!” Ruki screamed at him.  
Reita couldn’t believe what he heard. Everything was spinning. He felt like someone pushed him into a deep hole and he was still falling. Without saying anything he gathered his cloth and left the small house. It was cold outside, but he couldn’t care less. All he could think of was running. Barefoot and just in his pants he ran deeper into the forest. It wasn’t dark but there were so deep into the forest that he barely could see anything. But again, he couldn’t care less.  
He ran until his lungs were burning and legs shaking. He had trained all his life for his revenge. To kill that creature that took his family. Just the thought that this creature had been Ruki made him throw up. It hurt, it hurt so much. He was so confused. He still couldn’t believe it. He knew that Ruki was a vampire from the beginning, but he never pictured him as one of those monsters. But he clearly remembered those horrible pictures from that night and he still could hear the screams. There had been so much blood. The dead eyes of his sister had hunted him for years.  
It took him several minutes until he was able to breath normally. His head was still spinning. The worst thing was, that he nearly didn’t care what Ruki did. He knew that the other one had killed in his past. It was his nature to do so. To know that Ruki took him what was most important to him still hurt so much. But the thought that he might lose Ruki too, was unbearable. He was certain that the other one wasn’t one of those monsters anymore. He never had feared him. Even when Ruki was drinking from him he only drank as much as he needed to. He had seen the horror in his eyes. The fear of not being able to stop himself. He knew Ruki would never hurt him. He also knew that running away had been a stupid idea. Not only because he had no idea where he was, but also because he knew that he had to talk with Ruki. The other one most likely felt horrible now.  
Reita tried to find his way back, but he knew quickly that he was completely lost. This part of the forest looked not familiar at all. He walked for several minutes before he heard something strange. As he hunter his sense of hearing was trained. Someone or something was following him and whatever it was, it was fast. Once again Reita thought how stupid it had been for running away. Into a forest he wasn’t familiar with and without any weapons. The moment the tried to run, he got knocked over. He crashed into a tree and shit that hurt.  
“Oh look what he have here” he heard someone saying.  
“A snack my dear brother” another one said.  
Vampires. Great. Of course he had to run straight into a pair of vampires. His heart was beating like crazy. But this time not because of arousal, but because of fear. He could kill vampires in theory. But he was alone and without weapons. He was as good as dead.  
“I want the first bite” the taller vampire said and licked his lips.  
“No one will bite me” he said and got to his feet. The next seconds one of them pushed him to the ground.  
“Looks like we caught a hunter” one of them said as he touched the hunter brand on his arm.  
“He will be my first” the other vampire chuckled and came closer and suddenly stopped.  
“But I’m not his first. Look at that. Fresh marks. Someone feed from him. From a hunter. What a cruel vampire you met”.  
“He is nothing like you” Reita spitted out and still tried to free himself, even though it was pointless. He would die. And he would never see Ruki again.  
The moment the fangs pierced though his skin the pain was horrible. When Ruki had bit him, it always had felt pleasurable. The sounds of gulping nearly made him throw up again. But within seconds he could feel how he got weaker. He nearly didn’t notice when the second vampire also sank his fangs in his neck. He tried to lash out, but he was already too weak.  
When he suddenly heard Ruki voice, he thought for a moment that his mind was playing tricks.  
“If both of you won’t let go of him within the next seconds, I will slay both of you” Ruki growled.  
“Oh well this is a surprise. How long had it been Ruki? Five, six hundred years? You know that you aren’t allowed here. You know you are fair game the moment you step into this forest. You only got spared because the tribunal knew you had to do what you did” the smaller vampire said. Reita felt so weak.  
“They should have killed you! Killing your own master, they should have starved you to death for what you did” the taller vampire spit out.  
“I won’t repeat myself again. Step back the instant!” Ruki growled again.  
“He ran in our arms. If he’s yours, maybe you should have taken better care of your pet” the other vampire said and licked Reita’s neck. A second later he saw Ruki pushing the vampire off him. He could hear hisses and screams. He could hear Ruki scream.  
“Ruki…” he whispered and tried to get up without success.  
“They won’t forgive you a second time. They will come and hunt you down if you harm one of us” the vampire said and Ruki flinched for a moment.  
“I don’t care what will happen with me if I it means I can save his life” Ruki said with a steady voice. Both vampires started to laugh.  
“You like him. You really do. Look at you. All panicking. They are so weak, aren’t they? The humans. Weak and mortal. What a tragic love story this is” they were still laughing.  
“I don’t care what you think, but I swear to god that I won’t spare your lives in order to rescue him” Ruki promised. The other two vampires looked at him for a long moment.  
“Fine” the smaller one said.  
“Good luck with saving his live though” the taller one told Ruki and both vanished.  
When Ruki was next to him he already felt a lot safer.  
“Ruki…” Reita whispered. He felt so tired. All he wanted was to close his eyes and sleep.  
“No Reita look at me. Come one, look at me!” Ruki told him and Reita tried his hardest.  
“I’m… sorry” Reita said, because he really was.  
“Shh don’t talk too much. We have to get you back” Ruki told him and Reita could hear the terror in his voice.  
“I don’t think I…” Reita tried to explain. He felt so weak. He had lost so much blood. This was nothing like the one time when Ruki drank too much from him. He was slowly dying.  
“No! No, don’t do that to me. Come on, stay awake okay? I will bring you back. And then we can stay there okay? Okay?” Ruki mumbled and now Reita could feel the cold tears on his skin. It took him a moment to realize that it wasn’t Ruki’s tears but his skin that got cold.  
“I don’t want to leave you” Reita whispered and he meant every word.  
“I can’t help you. I can’t save you. I…” Ruki whispered back.  
“You can” Reita said and looked him deep into the eyes before he coughed.  
“No… You don’t want this… this life” Ruki was sobbing.  
“I want a life with you” Reita told him and it was the truth.  
“You lost too much blood. I… need to drink from you in order to turn you. I never did that before. I don’t know if…” Ruki confessed.  
“I trust you… If it’s you I wouldn’t mind death” Reita said.  
“I love you” Ruki whispered and kissed him before he sank his teeth in his neck. This felt so much better. Ruki took a few deep sips and Reita could feel how death was near. Everything went black.  
Ruki could feel how he took Reitas life with every sip, but he knew that his blood was necessary to turn him fully. He heard stories of experiments. Half turned vampires that went mad drank from themselves until they died. It would break his heart to see Reita like that.  
After the minimal amount of blood, he tore his wrist and pressed it on Reitas mouth.  
“Come on! Come one, drink!” Ruki whispered between sobs. For a long time, nothing happened.  
“Please, come one… come back to me… I need you” Ruki cried.  
Without noticing Reita took Ruki’s arm and gulped down as much blood as possible. It tasted so good. Never had he tasted something like that before. He couldn’t get enough of it. The first thing Reita noticed were the shaper noises. He could hear how his blood ran through Ruki’s veins and how Ruki’s blood ran though his own. He could hear birds far away. And this smell. He could actually smell the forest. The wood and the leaves. And he could smell Ruki. He smelled different. Like he was suffering.  
“Reita you have to stop. Reita, stop!” Ruki screamed at him and only then he was able to stop.  
“I… I’m sorry… I couldn’t...” he whispered.  
“It’s okay. It’s normal. God I’m so glad… I thought I lost you” Ruki whispered and couldn’t stop crying.  
“I meant it. All I want is a live with you” Reita said and slowly got up. He felt amazing until he felt a sharp pain in his back.  
“Those are you wings. They are slowly growing. It will hurt like hell the first time. We need to get you home” Ruki explained him.  
“Home… sounds good” Reita whispered and smiled at Ruki.  
He knew he had horrible weeks or even month ahead of him. But he couldn’t care less. He was somehow alive. And more important he was with Ruki. Forever.


End file.
